Creep Feeding Your Kids

Creep feeding is a means of providing supplemental feed for nursing (milking) kids. It is an essential component of an accelerated kidding and/or early weaning management program. Advantages of creep feeding include:

1. It increases pre-weaning weight gain, especially for kids reared as a twin or triplet.

2. The conversion of creep feed to body weight gain is a very efficient process. Creep fed kids will have a greater weight per day of age.

3. Kids will reach a target market weight and can be marketed at a younger age. For spring-born kids, avoiding the heat of the summer and large market runs may have a positive effect on net profit.

4. Creep feeding reduces the stress associated with weaning. Potential breeding animals and show prospects make the transition from milk to a dry diet much smoother if creep fed prior to weaning.

5. Creep feeding your kids hightens their chances of obaining there full genetic potential.

Creep feeds on the market include Lamb Creep Meal, Superlamb Pellets, Smallstock Grower and Ram, Lamb & Ewe Pellets. Lucern and Lab Lab are also very good for the growing kids!

Article and Picture Credit: Bushra Stud – Kalahari Reds & Boer Goats – Botswana